MENUHIN Yehudi [New York, 1916 - Berlin, 1999], American com - Lot 305

MENUHIN Yehudi [New York, 1916 - Berlin, 1999], American composer and violinist. Very nice file concerning Yehudi Menuhin and his piano accompanist, Marcel Gazelle. - Photograph signed " Yehudi Menuhin ". 14 x 8.8 cm. - GAZELLE Marcel [Gand, 1907 - id., 1969], Belgian pianist. A student of Marcel Ciampi, he was selected by Menuhin to accompany him in 1933, then to create and direct the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music in England. He married the violinist Jacqueline Salomon, a childhood friend of Yehudi. Menuhin considered him as his older brother. Yehudi Menuhin said of Gazelle (p. 125 of his memoirs): "Few men have played as great a role as Marcel in my history. Correspondence of 4 letters from 1933 about the engagement of Marcel Gazelle as pianist accompanist of Yehudi Menuhin. - Autograph letter signed, addressed to Marcel Ciampi. July 23, 1933; 1 page in-8° with address on the back. He tells him about his day in Ville d'Avray where the Menuhin family was living (who rented the house of Boris Vian's parents, which allowed Yehudi to follow Enesco's lessons in Paris, and Ciampi to come there to give piano lessons to Hephzibah and Yaltah) and his first meeting with Yehudi (who was 17 years old). "We played Beethoven's 7th, Bach's sonata in E major, Mozart's sonata in A major and a dance by Brahms. The whole family is going on vacation tomorrow. No decision has been made. Impossible to know if the impression is good or bad. Y.M. made a wonderful impression on me. What a joy to make music with [...] man, because you can call him that, can't you?" - MENUHIN Moshe [Gomel, 1893 - Los Gatos, Santa Clara County, California, 1983], father of violinist Yehudi Menuhin, pianists Hephzibah Menuhin Hauser and Yaltah Menuhin. Dictated letter slnd, addressed to Marcel Ciampi. [Ville d'Avray, July 24, 1933]; 3 pages in-4°. The letter is written by a woman who signed "Germaine M." Now the etymological origin of Germain in German is "son of", the same as that of Moshe in Hebrew. And discretion was the order of the day in the correspondence (Marcel Gazelle is named "Mr. G"). Yehudi's father sought to reassure himself about the choice of Marcel Gazelle. "I am writing you these lines in a hurry, in a hurry and yet anxious to give you some details about your friend G. He spent yesterday afternoon having lunch and chatting and making some music with Yehudi. But he showed unmistakable signs of being a good musician with a real desire to work, energetic means and an ideal. All this could make him a partner to accompany Yehudi. But he is concerned about Marcel Gazelle's health (which was indeed fragile at the time): "I would even appreciate a report from his doctor, whom you may know, so that we know exactly what we are dealing with before we take him in and as Yehudi's accompanist, if we do so! He asks for Ciampi's "honest and conscientious opinion", "as a friend of Yehudi and his family" (Ciampi was the piano teacher of Yehudi's two sisters). "Send your prompt reply to Ville d'Avray. It will be sent back to us... But they "almost signed an engagement with a young German from Leipzig when your letter arrived last night. - CIAMPI Marcel [Paris, 1891 - id., 1980], French pianist and teacher. Autograph draft of a letter addressed to Moshe Menuhin. Undated [July 24 or 25, 1933]; 2 pages in 4°. He dissuades Menuhin from taking Marcel Gazelle, because the latter is to enter the conservatory of Luxembourg. "For God's sake, since you are about to sign with this young German, it is because he is artistically suitable for Yehudi; you must therefore take him without hesitation, and without thinking of Gazelle. Ciampi had not taken the measure of Yehudi's talent and of the importance for Marcel Gazelle to work with him. - GAZELLE Marcel Autograph letter signed, addressed to Ciampi. Ghent, July 28, 1933; 2 pages in-4°. He explains how he was contacted and summoned to Ville d'avray (probably Ciampi had reproached him for not having warned him), and relies on Ciampi to accept the position of accompanist to Menuhin, addressed to Ciampi, if it is finally offered to him. Gazelle will finally get the position, but he will be very close! His collaboration with Menuhin will be that of a lifetime. - Autograph letter signed, addressed to Ciampi. [Ghent], April 26, 1938; 2 pages in-4° on his letterhead. About the concert in Amsterdam of Y. Menuhin and his sister Hephzibah: "I heard Hephzibah and Yehudi. Usual audience and success. Hephzibah is making progress, especially in the palette, and is incredibly flexible. If you have the opportunity, try to hear the slow movement of Lecken. She disturbs and destroys the atmosphere created by Yehudi by playing much too loudly. Bach extraordinaire, Beet